The Inconvenient Sacrifice

by Jon

“A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross.” Mark 15:21

Recently, I have been contemplating this passage in the account of Jesus’ crucifixion. After being mocked, beaten and led out of the palace carrying a heavy wooden cross on the way to Golgotha, there is this almost unnoticeable detail of the guards following Jesus forcing a man, Simon of Cyrene, to carry Jesus’ cross.The only other information given, besides his name, was that he was passing by from the country.

I can imagine Simon, a man from the rural countryside, being starry-eyed by all the busyness and crowds of the big city of Jerusalem, made even more rowdy from what was happening that very day. He probably saw a big crowd shouting and headed down the street and, being curious, would have been drawn over to seethe commotion. And while Simon witnessed the spectacle, the guards would single Simon out from all in the crowd to come before a bloody and tortured man, to lift the heavy cross off the man’s shoulders onto his, and to carry it all the way up a hill. I can imagine he must be confused, tired from the rough and heavy cross bearing down on his shoulders, and probably just cursing his luck for having been drawn to join the crowd.

Christians are called to sacrifice, just as our Master Jesus did. However, if given a choice, many would prefer a “convenient” sacrifice. A sacrifice that is weighed out and measured and timed so that it would not cause too much disruption to our regular life or cause excessive hardship. Perhaps its choosing to serve in church each Sunday at a time where one does not need to sacrifice too much sleep or result in a delay to lunch. Perhaps it is choosing to serve in ad-hoc events rather than regular intervals to avoid tying ourselves down too much.

However, I am reminded that most times the sacrifices we are called to take happen to be the most inconvenient. A friend in need of a listening ear when one has multiple work deadlines, a conviction to share the Gospel to a friend while risk putting that friendship is on the line, a change of career to heed God’s call when one’s job prospects are bright and promising. When faced with the decision on whether to sacrifice for God’s sake, we might be frustrated and even question God on why He puts us through such trials.

When considering this, I am reminded that while we might weigh our sacrifices in terms of convenience and weight, in God’s eyes the cost of sacrifice is less important than who the sacrifice was for. Just as the Son was willing to walk the journey to the Cross for the pleasure of the Father, I believe that whether the sacrifices presented in our lives are convenient or inconvenient, what matters is our choice to commit to the sacrifices for the glory of God. And just as Simon, undergoing the suffering of carrying the cross, was unaware that he was in the presence of the Man who would be carrying the sins on the world on His shoulders, may we come to a realization of the honour in sacrificing for the sake of God and may this change our lives and draw us closer to Christ.